FIRST AMERICA HOMES AND HOMEAID BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON FPLH DAY CENTER

Progress continues on a HomeAid Houston construction project for Family Promise of Lake Houston (FPLH) in Humble, Texas.  HomeAid has partnered with First America Homes, the homebuilding division of Signorelli Company, on a 5800 sq. ft. Life Skills Center that will provide a caring and positive environment for children and their families who have experienced a variety of crisis situations.  These can include fire, flood, the death of a spouse, loss of a job, an eviction, or a foreclosure of a home.

The Center, named The Promise House will offer individual counseling, higher education and training classes, mentoring and admin offices. Families will have access to bath facilities, a family room, a teaching kitchen, children’s playroom and a dining room.  The Promise House will also provide a safe haven for the four-legged family members as well thanks to the PetsSmart Foundation that is building a Pet Condo on the property. This will be the first homeless shelter that also provides accommodations for the entire family unit, including the furry ones.

First America Homes is the Builder Captain and is recruiting vendors and suppliers to donate as much as possible to construct the Center.  “Until a few months ago, a field near the corner of the East FM 1960 Bypass and Wilson Road in Humble was a vacant property, serving no purpose in an area that is seeing recent growth,” said Jim Muska, president of HomeAid Houston. “On December 11 HomeAid was proud to take part in the celebratory groundbreaking with First America Homes and Family Promise that set the wheels in motion to get this Center completed and open for families in need.  We cannot thank First America Homes, Dave Barnhart, their homebuilding division president and their vendors and suppliers enough for making this possible.”

Family Promise of Lake Houston is an agency that meets the immediate needs of homeless families while empowering them to attain self-sufficiency. During the day, families will come to their “home base” which is the Life Skills Center, where they will complete weekly goals, Life Skills Classes, Budgeting, Parenting, and GED Fast Track Certification. They can access community resources to search for job training and affordable housing. The key to their success is the fact that every family is connected to the community through volunteers from church congregations as well as through mentors in the Family Mentoring Program. Families are able to build a new community network that helps them achieve their goals of independence.

“The work Family Promise does for families in need is key to rebuilding lives and returning them back to the community to live productive, fulfilling lives,” said Carole Brady, executive director of HomeAid Houston. “HomeAid is so grateful to First America Homes for building this Center that will change lives for years to come.”

Funders to the project include The William Stamps Farish Fund, Albemarle Foundation, Ascentium Capital and Avis Charitable Foundation.  The PetSmart Charitable Foundation’s pet condo is allowing families to keep their pets as they work to improve their situation.  That grant is part of a national agreement with the Family Promise organization.